God: [posing as a waiter named Al Mighty] I love that story, Noah and the Ark. You know, a lot of people miss the point of that story. They think it’s about God’s wrath and anger. They love it when God gets angry.
Joan: What is the story about, then? The ark?
God: Well, I think it’s a love story about believing in each other. You know, the animals showed up in pairs. They stood by each other, side by side, just like Noah and his family. Everybody entered the ark side by side.
Joan: But my husband says God told him to do it. What do you do with that?
God: Sounds like an opportunity. Let me ask you something. If one prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If they pray for courage, does God give them courage, or does he give them opportunities to be courageous? If one prayed for their family to be closer, you think God zaps them with warm, fuzzy feelings? Or does he give them opportunities to love each other?
(“Evan Almighty”, 2007)
I felt a very strong emotion as I overheard these few lines of the movie just as I was reading a book and throwing a few glimpses at the turned on TV. No need to say this is the kind of phylosophy I have not only adopted but trying to live upon for some time now, yet I was astonished by the power of such messages to make their way to reach us no matter of anything and especially when we need them the most.
And talking about God I think that understanding that whatever is given to you is a challenge to make you better is inspirational and empowering. Despite people’s expectations that God will give them this or that, whatever divine power in the world (and in ourselves!) there is it is striving for us to take control and create ourselves- by practicing on a daily basis, without ever feeding our Egos by concluding that we have already learnt something.
I have come to an understanding that the learning process is one defined by its ever-continuing nature. You can flatter yourself that you have learnt something, practice it for 10 years and then “screw up” on the 11th. I come to realise this just after my Neapolitan experience as I went to an exchange in Portugal. As relaxed and easy-going and understanding to myself and the rest I was in Naples, while I was in Portugal I was a ball of emotions and I was getting fired just so easy. I tought I had learnt not to attach myself and yet as I had to leave Naples I felt deep pain and longing, even though I wanted change and I wanted to go on. I had come back to my old thinking patterns and didn’t want to cause myself pain and I didnt want to be so stressed and nervous and I was constantly playing the role of the “Policeman” to myself (as a great guy whom I met on my Camino de Santiago called it)- torturing myself and making myself feel even worse.
With the time I got out of this state. By encouraging myself, being more aware of the processes taking place in myself and taking the time to understand them and not simply banish them and supposedly “throw them out of myself”.
It’s an exciting process of change. It does not go at a constant rate and it makes you walk back and firth, but it is also englightening. And fun. And you do learn to laugh at yourself sooner or later!
